The technique for forming trusses for use as roof supports in buildings traditionally involves placement of pieces of lumber which are to form the truss on a work table having a plurality of threaded bores passing therethrough. The lumber is held in a fixed geometric configuration by means of plural work holders strategically placed about different aspects of the lumber so that areas for interconnection of adjacent pieces of lumber are secure for fastening a truss plate thereat.
One of the reasons for standardized housing has been that the use of custom roof designs entails labor intensive modification of truss forming arrangments on such a work table, sometimes involving custom fabrication of a work table since hole placement for the lumber holding jigs may not be properly spaced to accomodate the unique truss design. More frequently however, unique roof (and therefor truss) design entails placement of the jig holders in unfamiliar sites causing increased down time in order to visually comprehend the overall layout prior to fastening adjacent pieces of lumber together through truss plates.
The following patents exemplify the rather rich state of the art in an attempt to overcome this long felt yet heretofore unsatisfied need, and the particular relevance of any patent, either singularly or combined in any conceivable combination is not seen to diminish the patentability of the instant application as set forth hereinafter. Moreover, citation of these patents is in direct response to applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose prior art.
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